The name on everybody’s lips is gonna be [Chicago]! - by Harrison Eyngorn

-

 

CHITOUR25_4523_Claire Marshall as Velma Kelly and Cast of CHICAGO in All That Jazz_Credit Jeremy Daniel


Chicago is currently razzling and dazzling audiences with its sultry dance numbers and infamous musical score at the Orpheum Theatre from Jan. 27 - Feb. 1, 2026. Unsurprisingly, this legendary production is celebrating its 29th anniversary on Broadway and is the second longest-running production in Broadway history, following The Phantom of The Opera. After seeing this show opening night, I understood why this production is so well-loved.


Set within the decadent 1920s, Chicago follows the story of Roxie Hart [Ellie Roddy], a housewife and aspiring Vaudeville performer, who murders her on-the-side boyfriend and seeks to flee conviction through transforming her crime into a sensational headline. With the book and lyrics coming from John Kander and Frank Ebb, this iconic musical has songs that are bound to make any audience member roaring for the sounds of the twenties.

Claire Marshall’s Velma Kelly, Roxie’s rival cellmate, left a bittersweet taste in my mouth. In her initial number, “All That Jazz”, her vocals felt underwhelming with her voice feeling barely audible in a song that opens the show and is both loud and brazen. However, Marshall redeemed herself with “I Can’t Do It Alone” where the lost brazenness of “All That Jazz” shone through. Unlike Marshall, Max Cervantes’s Billy Flynn, Chicago’s renowned criminal attorney, blew me away from the beginning in his opening number, “All I Care About”. Cervantes epitomized the suavity and charisma behind Billy Flynn with his warm and rich vocal quality, making me understand why all the prisoners adore him. Finally, Marc Christopher’s Amos Hart, Roxie’s devoted yet neglected husband, pulled on my heart strings especially during “Mr. Cellophane”. Christopher’s dimwitted yet loveable portrayal of Amos had me rooting for him throughout the entire show and most definitely in awe of  his vocal talent. “Mr. Cellophane” was amongst one of my favorite songs from the night because of how believable Christopher conveyed the loneliness and invisibility Amos feels throughout his life. 

While the principles within the show were star-studded, the ensemble took the cake for me. With numbers such as “My Own Best Friend” and “Razzle Dazzle”, the ensemble was mesmerizing with their incredibly tight harmonies and jaw-dropping movements. In “My Own Best Friend”, although both Marshall and Roddy had voices that harmoniously blended together, the ensemble’s harmonies bolstered the song's beauty and emotional depth. Furthermore, the number “Razzle Dazzle” was both visually and audibly pleasing because of the tight choreography and vocals from the chorus. Throughout the number, the group would come together and perform synchronized movements shattered by distinctive poses emphasizing the number’s mesmerizing appeal. Moreover, their hushed singing displayed the song's dark underlying message of deceit even though it was masked by their flashy performance.

This production of Chicago is a must-see musical for any newbie to theater or for those that have

seen it millions of times. With incredible principal actors and a stunning ensemble, this performance has

all the parts to make any theatergoer begging for more.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ Lands in Minneapolis, Haunting and Stunning as Ever by Peyton Webb

-
Image
Daniel Lopez as Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny and Jordan Lee Gilbert as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera North American Tour Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman Over a year after the conclusion of its record-breaking Broadway run, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera is back to enchant theater-goers across the nation. The North American tour hit the Orpheum last Friday, November 21, the second stop of its highly-anticipated return. Producer Cameron Mackintosh promised “a dazzlingly fresh version of the much-loved original,” and dazzlingly fresh he delivered, indeed. This updated Phantom reopened in 2021 at His Majesty’s Royal Theatre and was applauded by London critics and everyday fans alike. Now, the production has come to haunt American stages, and it’d be a shame to miss the wondrous horrors it brings. The newer version maintains much of the late Maria Björnson’s original award-winning designs. Her magnificent sets feature the grandness and ornamentation of a...
Read more

& Juliet: I Don’t Really Want It That Way by Katelyn Keyes

-
Out of all the musicals I’ve seen, I feel that & Juliet is a tough one to find my opinion on. Did it have a powerful impact that left me changed? Not really. Did it have breathtaking dancing, Oscar-worthy acting, or astounding songs? Not really. But, did I have fun? Absolutely.  I began to get a sense for the fun when it opened with a jazzy preshow, where some of the actors come onstage before the official start to dance and liven up the audience. The dancers seemed to be quite talented, and that raised my hopes for the show itself, but sadly, there was no big dance number that showed off the amount of talent in this ensemble. By that beginning, and the general hip-hop vibe of the show, I had thought that it would be a lot more dance-heavy. The dancing that was there wasn’t bad by any means; in “Blow” there was some large-scale choreography to emulate a club, and the ensemble proved to be effective backup dancers in “Problem/Can’t Feel My Face.” But if the dancing had been m...
Read more

Tragedy Turned Triumph: & Juliet by Maddy Campbell

-
Who needs Romeo when you have self-worth, a glitter cannon, and a chance to write your own ending? It’s certainly not Juliet! In David West Read and Max Martin’s & Juliet , Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is reimagined to uplift independence and femininity. The show begins at the end of the Shakespeare classic by asking the question: What if Juliet decided to not die alongside her lover and instead move on? What follows is a high energy performance that is fun all around. Although I found the jukebox format occasionally distracting and disjointed, this tour delivers a visually dynamic and unapologetically modern interpretation that is sure to be a night well spent at the theater. Overall, the whole vibe of & Juliet stood out to me. The contrast of the classical Shakespearean characters with a modern street-style production brought a new life to this iconic story. My favorite element of this production was the set design by Soutra Gilmour. The urban playground and graffiti-spla...
Read more